Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Cut the Fat in Half on Thanksgiving

According to research from the Calorie Control Council, the average American may consume more than 4,500 calories and a whopping 229 grams of fat tomorrow. You heard that right - 4,500 freakin' calories! And sadly, those figures only include snacking and the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, not breakfast or late evening munching.

The average holiday dinner alone can carry a load of 3,000 calories. And most of us nibble our way through more than another 1,500 calories in dips, chips, appetizers and drinks both before and after the big meal. To put it into visual terms, the average person may consume enough fat at a holiday meal to equal three sticks of butter. UGH.

But there are ways to cut down on some of the gastronomical excess. Reducing the amount of fat and calories through simple substitutions can help prevent the average weight a person will gain during the holiday season. Extra exercise can also ward off the pounds.

Here are some "low-fat holiday" tips from the American Heart Association:

* Eat lower-fat and reduced-calorie foods for days in advance of the holiday feast, and in the days after.
* Prepare for handling your worst temptations; if you want both pecan and pumpkin pie, take a tiny slice of each, instead of an average serving.
* If cooking, provide low-fat foods, or ask if you can bring a low-fat dish. After the meal, start a physical fitness-related tradition -- a holiday walk or friendly game of football, for instance.

Other ideas?
* You can also reduce the calories in a meal by using lower-calorie products. Try putting sucralose in your tea or coffee or use it in place of sugar in a sweet casserole.
* Use fat-free soup in your favorite casserole (fat free mushroom soup has 70 calories per 1/2 cup serving vs. 120 for the regular)
* Use chicken bouillon to simmer the celery and onions for your turkey stuffing -- instead of sautéing them in butter. (one bouillon cube has 5 calories, a tablespoon of butter has 102 calories)
* Try low-calorie cranberry juice cocktail (40 calories per 8 oz. serving) in place of the regular (140 calories).
* Light sour cream (35 calories per 2 tablespoon serving) has about half the calories of regular sour cream (60 calories per serving). Fat-free sour cream has 25 calories per serving.
* Fruit pie filling has 90 calories per 1/3 cup serving; the light version has 60 and the sugar-free version only has 35.

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About Me

I'm a former print reporter who recently moved into the world of communications for the slightly larger paycheck and increased work stability. By day, I work for several associations - including the Calorie Control Council - and attempt to bring a little humor into the non-profit sector. By night, I can be found visiting cheap ethnic restaurants, dive bars with a diverse draft selection or trying to find one of the three cabs that seem to circulate around Atlanta. I'm writing this blog to chronicle my recent adoption of a healthier, sugar-free lifestyle as well as to encourage others to take similar steps. For both personal and professional reasons, I aim to stay informed about the latest low-calorie lifestyle news, research and trends. If you're looking for tips and advice on sugar-free eating, as well as pithy observations on a range of topics, then you're visiting the right blog!